I keep getting asked, "So what's the difference between kayaking in Palau and stand up paddling?" During our last paddle out toward Pinchers, it was one example after the next showing what the differences are between the two water sports.

I love kayaking in general, and had the best kayaking experience of my life here in Palau. I still kayak and love as it much as ever. So don't take what I'm about to say as though I were putting down kayaking. Stand up paddling isn't a replacement for kayaking. It's just a whole other way to enjoy the water. There are some real differences between the two activities. Stand up paddling definitely has some advantages that you don't get in a kayak. Here are the ones I really took note of during our last paddle.

The variety of positions available on a stand up paddle board are so much greater. You can stand, kneel, sit, or lie, belly-down, while you paddle. You can sit straddling the board, feet in the water. Unlike being in a kayak and doing this, it doesn't cut off your circulation or dig behind your knees.  You can lie back and totally stretch out, flat on your back on a paddle board.

I almost took a nap on my board this way. It was so peaceful and comfortable

I get a sore butt and back in a kayak. With stand up paddle boarding, you aren't sitting on your butt all the time. Missing out on all that butt-on-plastic contact, means I also get to miss out on a sore, numb, or aching tush.

When we kayak for any decent period of time, I have to wear gloves for my hands. The palms of my hands get really sore and I get hand cramps from holding my kayak paddle so long. No such problem while stand up paddling. You paddle on one side then the other. No big friction and you get to change up your hand positions all the time. We've been out for hours at a time on our stand up paddle boards, and, I'm glad to report, that my butt and back feel great afterward.

You get equal tanning on a stand up paddle board. In a kayak, the sun don't shine on the back of your legs or your lower back. On a stand up paddle board, you get even tanning.

As Dave Collin said so well on the Werner Paddle blog, on a stand up paddle board you  may go half the speed of a kayak, but have twice the fun. This is what I have found to be true every single time we go out.

Standing up and paddling I feel more involved. I feel so peaceful, so easy going and relaxed, moving along in total harmony with the gentle movement of the water beneath me.

Then there's the whole angle-thing. When you stand up you get a whole new perspective. The change in visibility is just amazing.

You can see further under the surface and along the surface. You can really see the fish, the coral, the rocks, whatever may be down there.

We stopped and had lunch in our favorite lagoon, right on our boards. Now I've tried doing lunch in my kayak, and I'll tell you right now, it is sooo much easier on a stand up paddle board. The flat top of the board gives you a great place to arrange your spread. On a kayak you have to deal with all those molded, curved surfaces. The curves and bumps and grooves almost always win, and your food is sliding, tipping and falling. On our boards, we sat, dangling our feet in the water, and enjoyed every bite of our lunch without having to chase or retrieve any of it.

Getting on and off is so much easier on a stand up paddle board, hands down. You can get mount your board on your belly or your knees. Piece of cake. Even better, are the ways to get off your board. You can sit and slide off, lie down and roll off, or practice your diving skills and jump off the board. No uneasy rocking back and forth, just a smooth simple movement. This makes taking a swim, or going snorkeling a much easier thing to do.